Miner&#39;s pan.



ENTED SEPT. '3, 1907 P. A. HARDWIGK.

MINERS PAN. APPLICATION FILED ouml. 190e.

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PENTON A. HARDWICK, OF COLORADO CITY, COLORADO.

MINERS PAN.

Specification of Letters Patent.

rammed sept. e, 1907.

Application filed October 31, 1906. Serial No. 341,443.

To all whom it may concern:

Beit known that I, PnNToN A. HARDWICK, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Colorado City, in the county of El Paso and State of Colorado, have invented a new and Improved Miners Pan, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to improvements in handoperated pans for separating gold or like values from sand, gravel and the like, the object being to provide a pan so constructed that with its use a much greater percentage of values may be saved than is possible with the usual pan, in which a considerable amount of fine gold is washed over the edges of the pan with the sand and gravel, especially when used by an vinexperienced person.

A fu'rther object is to so arrange the screening devices that they may be readily separated for cleaning.

I will describe a miners pan embodying my invention and then point out the novel features in the appended claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is a sectional view on the line x--x of Fig. 2 of a miners pan embodying my invention; Fig. 2 is a top plan of the screening device removed from the pan; Fig. 3 is an inverted plan thereof; Fig. 4 is a broken plan showing a cheese-cloth diaphragm employed, with the holding ring therefor; and Fig. 5 is a section on the line yi/ of Fig. 4.

The lower portion 1 of the pan has its wall in an upward straight line, and from the upper edge of this portion l, the. pan flares outward as indicated at 2.r

The lower portion is provided with a bottom wall 3 for supporting the screening devices, which comprise a ring 4 having legs 5 resting on the bottom, and this ring has spoke members 6, and at the center there is an opening through which a sleeve 7 loosely passes. Below the ring portion is a metal sieve 8 of comparatively coarse mesh, while below the same is a sieve 9 of a very fine mesh; and underneath said sieve 9 is a diaphragm 10V consisting of cheese-cloth or similar fabric. The edge of this cheese-cloth 10 is secured to a holding device consisting of a spring ring l1 designed to fit closely against the wall of the lower portion l of the pan so as to prevent dirt and gravel passing to the lower side at the edges. This holding device or spring ring 10 is provided with inward depressions 12 for receiving the legs 5. Below the diaphragm 10 is a perforated metal disk 13 and said sleeve 7 passes through an opening in said disk and also through openings in the cheesecloth and sieves. The lower end of the sleeve is provided with an annular flange 14 which engages the under side of the disk 13; and engaging with the spokes 6 is a spring-washer 15 which is forced downward by means of a clamping-nut 16 engaging with the screw thread 0f the sleeve 7. By this arrangement, the parts above described may be firmly clamped together and obviously may be readily separated when necessary, for cleaning.

Extended through the sleeve 7 is a shaft 17 on the lower end of which is an agitator consisting of oppositely extended arms 18 which are designed when rotated, to separate any gold or the like that may be packed in the bottom of the pan; and supported above this agitator is a permanent magnet 19 designed to catch and hold any magnetic material that may possibly pass through the sieves, and thus prevent the same from mingling with the values in the lower portion of the pan.

The screen 8 will protect the fine mesh screen from damage by gravel and similar heavy material, and the perforated disk 13 will help to support `the screen and permit the concentrates to fall to the bottom of the pan.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. A pan having a lower portion, a wall of which extends straight upward, a daring lower portion, a ring having legs for engaging on the bottom of the pan, spokes extended inward from the ring and having an opening at the center, a sleeve for passing through said opening, the upper end thereof being threaded, metal sieves arranged below the ring, a diaphragm of cheese-cloth arranged below the'sieves, `a clamping disk engaging around the sleeve and pressing upon the spokes of the ring, a nut engaging with the thread of the sleeve,

-for forcing said plate to clamping position, a shaft extended through the sleeve, and an agitator on the lower end of the shaft.

2. A miners pan having a lower portion, the wall of which is substantially vertical, and an upper portion liared outward from the lower portion, a ring having legs foi resting on the bottom of the pan, spokes extended inward from the ring, and having anvopening at the center, a sleeve passing through said opening, a disk carried by the sleeve 'at the lower end, a sieve material arranged around the sleeve between said disk and ring, and means for clamping the parts together.

3. In a device of the class described, comprisinga pan, metallic sieves aranged in the lower part thereof, a diaphragm of nonmetallic fabric material between the sieves, and a spring ring with which the edge of the diaphragm engages, the said ring engaging with the wall of the pan whereby to secure the diaphragm in place.

4. In a miners pan, a sleeve, a ringsupported by the sleeve, within the pan, a perforated disk supported on the lower pertion of the sleeve, a permanent magnet carried by said disk, sieve material arranged between the disk and ring, a shaft extended through the sleeve, and an agitator attached to the lower end ot' the ring.

In testimony` whereof I have signed my name. to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

PENTON A. HARDWICK.

Witnesses L. C. FIFFE, F. H. DUNNING'rON.

portion extended from the l 

